Okay, time for a history lesson. Back in September of 1999, Sega released the Dreamcast, nearly a year before the PlayStation 2. Though the Dreamcast had a strong initial following, the following year's release from Sony always held sway over Sega’s console. In the United States, the eventual success of the PS2 could be credited to its backwards compatibility with the first-generation PlayStation games and peripherals. Even though the price was $100 more, the 1000-plus-game library and the ability to play DVDs seemed to more than compensate. (The Dreamcast used GDROMS, or “gig disks,” which were unstable, unreliable, and only used by the Dreamcast.)

In Japan, the situation was much different. DVD technology had not really caught on as it had in the United States. DVD players were also more expensive, since the sales hadn’t warranted price drops yet. Sony soon changed all that. The PlayStation 2 was not only the newest “Next-Gen” video game system, but was also the cheapest DVD player on the market. Conserving space and value, the PS2 was a tremendous hit.

Fast-forward to today. Backwards compatibility has become a requirement for new consoles. The new Nintendo Wii (pronounced “We”), PS3, and XBOX360 all have the capability of playing their respective predecessors' games. What good is spending money on all these games if you can’t continue to play them? Microsoft has practically cornered the online console market with XBOX Live, their online game network. It also has a much bigger hard drive (from 8gb to 20gb), better graphic ability, and the success of the previous Xbox games is already built into its library.

The PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii have just been released, and I’ve got to say that I’m a little disappointed. The new PS3 is over $600, with one controller and no games (which, by the way, are about $60.) The high costs are primarily due to the new “Blue Ray” disk technology that the PS3 uses. In addition to being able to play DVD movies and previous PSX and PS2 titles, the PS3 can play Blue Ray movies and games too. Blue Ray disks are “dual layered” 50GB disks that can be viewed in 1080i resolution. Compared to a DVD’s single-layer 4.7GB capacity, it is a considerable upgrade.

But are we ready for it? I think that Sony is trying to pull on America what they pulled on Japan about 6 years ago. Blue Ray technology is *ahem* “big in Japan” (ha, I’ve always wanted to say that), though it hasn't really caught on yet here in the US. Sony is hoping to promote their proprietary (yes, I said proprietary) Blue-Ray technology. Sony Blue-Ray players are over $1000, so at $600, the PS3 looks like a steal. This gives you a reason to buy the system for not only the movies, but if you already have it, why not buy the games too?

My problem with this is that I don’t believe the average United States consumer cares enough about cutting-edge media to pay an exorbitant amount of money for a new game system. Nintendo’s Wii is only $249.99 and comes with a game, the first time a new console has come packed with a game since the Super Nintendo back in 1992.

Wii console

The Nintendo Wii has also taken a whole new approach to playing and interacting with games. The controllers resemble regular TV remotes, but are motion-sensitive. That means that you actually have to move around to get your character to do what you want on the screen. If you need to swing a sword or tennis racquet, you actually swing the controller like you would the objects in real life. This is bound to change the way that games are played, and not everyone thinks it’s a bad idea. Sony actually lost the right to have a vibrating feedback function on their PlayStation controller, so in a hurry not to be outdone by Nintendo, Sony added a motion-sensing function to their new controller as well.

The graphics on the Wii are comparable to the XBOX 360. The PS3’s hardware superiority is barely noticeable, and you need a top-of-the-line plasma TV to take advantage of it. In an effort to compete with the newly released systems, Microsoft is also dropping the prices on their 360s by about $100. In fact, you can find them new on Amazon.com for less than the price of a new Wii.

Nintendo surprised the gaming community with its newest handheld, the DS (Dual Screen) which features a touch screen and WiFi capabilities. The DS, despite its criticism, has become quite the hit, changing the way people play portable games. Can Nintendo pull it off with the new Wii? Only time will tell.

If you want my opinion, don’t waste your money on a PS3. There is a shortage of buggy hardware and unenthusiastic-looking titles. Also, does anybody remember BetaMax? That was Sony’s previous attempt at revolutionary proprietary media. I would say wait until better games come out and prices drop. $600 is way too much to pay for any video game system. You could argue that you can play your PS2 games on it, but you’ll need to buy a $15 adapter for the PS3 to read your memory cards.

The Xbox already has a library of games available for consumers and is becoming more and more reasonably priced. There is even an HD adapter being made available as well. Though I’m not personally a fan of Microsoft or its XBOX, I can’t argue with its success and capabilities.

My personal favorite this season is the underdog Nintendo Wii. It’s the cheapest, most interactive, and most revolutionary. Not only is it backwards compatible with Game Cube games, but it also has a "Virtual Console" feature that lets you download your favorite classic games from the original Nintendo, SNES, Genesis, and TurboGraphX16. It is also, by the way, the only system that makes you actually get off the couch to play it. Try arguing with that one, Jack Thompson!

Copyright 2006 Metropolitan Community College